To this end, the motor-driven unit should not only carry out mine clearing from the relevant route through anti-mine means carried by said unit and allowing, upon their passage, for the detection and/or the activation of explosive loads of mines and other devices, but it should also provide securing the mine cleared track by means of an appropriate beaconing equipment so as to allow, after the unit has passed, the traffic of other vehicles or convoys in complete safety.
This is, for instance, the case of the motor-driven unit described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,747,515, comprising a vehicle such as a tank, at the front of which anti-mine means are arranged as a pressing roll activating the latter, and at the rear of which a beaconing equipment is mounted as individual marking blocks arranged evenly and automatically in the central longitudinal axis of the track being followed by the vehicle. Thus, the follower vehicles of such a leading vehicle guide their progress relying on the aligned central blocks.
However, such a beaconing equipment imposes a significant clutter, because of the high number of blocks to be stored for marking a track with beacons, and, consequently, a beaconing distance limited to a few kilometers. Moreover, guiding the follower vehicles using central spaced apart blocks does not occur in a stringent and accurate way, so that a follower vehicle could become more or less off-centered with respect to the alignment of the blocks and laterally deviate from the track, then driving on a mine.
Furthermore, if this type of marking block beaconing is well appropriate for beaconing a substantially flat route in a good condition, on the other hand, when the route is uneven and has bankings, reliefs or stony areas, the arranged blocks are able to fall, and to no longer correctly indicate the route to be followed. Furthermore, when the positioned beacon should be removed for any reason (end of a mission, etc.), the marking blocks should be recovered, requiring a logistics and an additional cost.
Moreover, from patent CA-2,234.597, a vehicle is known for detecting land mines comprising anti-mine means and a beaconing equipment for the secured route. The beaconing equipment comprises a marking product and two product dispensing members, respectively arranged on both sides of the central longitudinal axis of the vehicle so as to implement and leave on the ground two lateral markings, the spacing of which corresponds at least to the largest path axle of the vehicle.
Although it improves securing tracks, the guidance of vehicles that follow, between the lateral markings, is however unreliable because the marking vehicle is generally no longer visible and can no longer act as a reference point, and that the sight of the driver of the follower vehicle(s) could naturally focus on one of the two markings instead of staying between them. Thereby, the guidance of follower vehicles is inaccurate and is able to deviate from the secured path.